• Numbers-matching, top-specification ‘1600 SC’ engine• Only two owners from new with single ownership and care from new to 2016• Includes original Bill of Sale from Brumos Porsche• Recent, high-quality restoration; original special order color combination• Wonderful example of Porsche’s ultimate 356-Series model

As the first car bearing the Porsche name, the 356 remains the cornerstone of its continuing legend. The final-series 356C debuted in July 1963 and while differing little at first glance from the prior 356B, it was carefully improved and refined throughout. Body suppliers were now streamlined, with Karmann in Osnabrück supplying coupes and Porsche, which had just purchased Reutter, building the Cabriolets in Stuttgart. Mechanical advancements applied to the 356C included standard four-wheel disc brakes, 15-inch wheels with smaller ventilation holes and flat hubcaps, suspension improvements, and deeper bucket-type reclining seats courtesy of Reutter, which owned a seating subsidiary that became famous as ‘Recaro’, short for Reutter Carosserie.

Engine development was led by Hans Mezger, with Porsche’s pushrod-type engine lineup reorganized and improved. The 60-horsepower 1600 ‘Normal’ was replaced by the uprated 1600C unit, which delivered 75 horsepower (88 SAE). The 95-HP (107 SAE) 1600 SC unit replaced the ‘Super 90’ as the most-powerful pushrod-type engine in Porsche’s road cars, second only to the Carrera 2 competition four-cam. In both cases, drivability and performance improved, with the 1600 SC capable of propelling the 356C to nearly 120 mph.

A development of the prior 1600 Super engine, the updated 1600 SC unit was a technical tour de force belying its “official” 95-horsepower factory rating (107 HP SAE). Delivering peak power at 5,800 RPM, it featured 9.5:1 compression, Solex twin-choke carburetors, and light-alloy cylinder barrels with iron liners. Both intake and exhaust valves were enlarged and sodium-filled to dissipate heat. An all-synchromesh four-speed gearbox, communicative suspension, and sharp steering response of the 356C provided a thrilling drive. In total, 16,668 examples of the 356C were built. Coupe production ended on January 21, 1965 and the last Cabriolet left Porsche’s Zuffenhausen works on April 28, 1965. Predictably, the 356C was the standard by which its successors, the six-cylinder 911 and 356-powered 912, were judged by Porsche’s intensely loyal fan base.

This 1965 Porsche 356C/1600 SC Coupe marks the final evolution and ultimate specification of the historic 356-series road cars from Stuttgart. Numbered 220122 and built with 1600 SC engine number 813014 – the unit which continues to power it today, this outstanding 356C/1600 SC Coupe is accompanied at auction by a copy of its original Bill of Sale from the famed Brumos Porsche dealership in Jacksonville, Florida. Sold new on March 11, 1965 to William C. “Bill” Reeves, a U.S. Air Force Lieutenant at the time of purchase, this 356C/1600 SC Coupe featured a special-order Togo Brown paint finish over Fawn upholstery, plus desirable factory options including seat belts, a Blaupunkt ‘Frankfurt’ AM/FM radio, and outside mirror.

Following purchase, Lt. Reeves drove the Porsche back to California’s Travis Air Force Base where he was stationed. Eventually, the car would follow him on his various postings to Florida during the 1970s, then Georgia, and back to Florida. He retained his beloved Porsche until 2016, when the consignor acquired it. While the vehicle had already been given an exterior repaint under Lt. Reeves, the Porsche was nonetheless given a full, high-quality restoration including new paint and upholstery, with the potent matching numbers 1600 Super engine detailed to original standard. As offered, this exceptional, late-production Porsche 356C/1600 SC Coupe from 1965 also comes with the original Bill of Sale and Service Booklet. Blessed with over five decades of sole ownership and handsomely restored and presented, it is simply one of the finest available, marking a wonderful find for the most committed Porsche collectors and enthusiasts alike.